Carrot Cake With Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This carrot cake is moist and well-spiced, and pairs perfectly with the sweet buttercream.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger ground
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 2 ⅛ cups vegetable oil
- 6 large whole eggs
- 4 cups finely shredded carrots packed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 1 cup egg whites around 7 large eggs
- 1¾ cups sugar
- 2⅓ cups butter cold and cubed
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or one vanilla bean
Instructions
Carrot Cake:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients, including flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and set aside.
- In a separate larger mixing bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and oil until well blended. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once combined, add finely shredded carrots.
- Spray cake pans with baking spray and bake for 23-25 minutes at 325F. The cakes are done when a cake tester or skewer comes out cleanly.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together egg whites and sugar and place over a simmering pot of water to create a double boiler.
- Continue whisking mixture until it reaches 165F.
- Pour meringue mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until bright white and glossy, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the bowl, change the whisk to the paddle attachment and place back on the mixer. Slowly add cubed butter until all of it has been incorporated. Turn the mixer speed to medium high and whip until the buttercream is smooth. Add salt and vanilla!